LAS VEGAS – The Wolf Pack women’s basketball team is two wins from the big tournament.

No. 3 seed Nevada used a crucial 12-0 run midway through the second half to push ahead of No. 6 San Diego State before taking a 53-48 victory Tuesday night in a Mountain West Tournament quarterfinal.

Nevada (18-12) opened the second half by missing 14 of its first 17 shots and fell behind 33-30 before the 12-0 surge. Danika Sharp, who scored a team-best 12 points, hit a key 3-pointer during the decisive rally. Mimi Mungedi (10), Nyasha LeSure (nine) and Terilyn Moe (seven) all had nice contributions.

Nevada led for most of the game, with a nice cushion in the second half until SDSU cut the Wolf Pack lead to 49-46 with less than a minute to go before Nevada iced the game from the free throw line.

The Wolf Pack hit a program-best 11 3-pointers in an 84-65 win over SDSU earlier this season, but this game was more of a defensive grind. Nevada hit just 29.6 percent of its shots, but held SDSU (13-17) to 30.6 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers in one of its best defensive efforts of the season.

The Wolf Pack advanced to play No. 2 Fresno State (20-10) at 2:30 p.m. Friday in a MWC Tournament semifinal game (the teams split two games this season). No. 1 Colorado State and No. 5 Wyoming play in the other semifinal. The winner of the tournament gets an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Nevada is seeking the first NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

NEVADA 53, SAN DIEGO STATE 48

Key stat: 17 – With scoring at a premium in a defensive game, Nevada got 17 points from its bench.

Key play: With Nevada leading by three points in the final seconds, Danika Sharp knocked down two free throws to seal the win.

Key to the game: The Wolf Pack created 19 turnovers, including 14 in the first half, and held San Diego State to 30.6 percent shooting in one of its best defensive efforts of the season.